Question

When oxygen moves from the inside of a red blood cell into the interstitial fluid, which fluid compartment does it pass through?

1) Intercellular fluid
2) Intravascular fluid
3) Intracellular fluid
4) Interstitial fluid

Answer 1

Oxygen moves from the inside of a red blood cell through the interstitial fluid, which is part of the extracellular fluid and found between cells. It passes through the cell membrane by diffusion.

Step-by-step explanation:

When oxygen moves from the inside of a red blood cell into the interstitial fluid, it is passing through the interstitial fluid compartment. This compartment is part of the extracellular fluid (ECF) which is found between cells, not within them. This is different from intracellular fluid, which is found inside the cells. As oxygen diffuses from areas of higher concentration to those of lower concentration, it moves through the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane and into the interstitial fluid, providing cells with necessary oxygen for metabolism.